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In an era of declining volunteerism it is critical to examine alternative approaches to volunteer management that may better promote engagement and address common barriers to volunteering. Using a ''best practices'' Canadian case study approach, this research describes an alternative approach to volunteer engagement that emphasizes lifestyle integration, organizational informality and flexibility, and volunteer-agency collaboration. We suggest that traditional volunteer management structures may actually be hindering engagement and call instead for a more vocation-based, networked, and collaborative approach which affords greater autonomy to the volunteer and sees power being shared between agencies and volunteers.Résumé Dans une ère de déclin du bénévolat, il est impératif d'examiner des approches alternatives propres à mieux promouvoir sa gestion et résoudre ce qui fait lui fait obstacle. En ce référent aux «meilleures pratiques» d'une étude de cas canadienne, cette recherche décrit une alternative de façon à ce que l'engagement bénévole mette l'accent sur l'intégration du style de vie, l'absence de formalité organisationnelle garante de souplesse, et en collaboration avec des agences se consacrant au bénévolat. Nous suggérons que les structures de gestion du bénévolat traditionnelles peuvent en fait entraver leur engagement mais emmener dans son sillage un élément permettant une plus grande autonomie et partager équitablement l'action conjointe des agences et des bénévoles.Zusammenfassung In einer Ä ra von rückläufiger ehrenamtlicher Tätigkeit ist es entscheidend, alternative Ansätze zum Management von ehrenamtlichen Helfern zu prüfen, die möglicherweise besser das Engagement fördern und auf verbreitete Barrieren zum Volontieren eingehen. Die ''best practices'' einer kanadischen Fallstudienmethode nutzend beschreibt diese Untersuchung einen alternativen Ansatz zum Management von Ehrenamtlichen, der Integration des Lebensstils, organisatorische Zwanglosigkeit und Flexibilität und Zusammenarbeit von Ehrenamtlichen und Agentur betont. Wir behaupten, dass traditionelle Strukturen des Managements von Ehrenamtlichen sogar Engagement behindern kann und fordern stattdessen eine mehr berufsbasierte, vernetzte und gemeinschaftliche Herangehensweise, die dem ehrenamtlichen Helfer größere Autonomie bietet und die Macht zwischen Agenturen und Ehrenamtlichen teilt.Resumen En una época de declive del voluntariado, es esencial examinar los enfoques alternativos a la gestión de los voluntarios que mejor fomentarían el compromiso y derribarían las barreras comunes al voluntariado. Enfocándonos en un estudio de caso canadiense para las mejores prácticas, este estudio describe un método alternativo al compromiso de los voluntarios que hace hincapié en la integración en el estilo de vida, la informalidad y la flexibilidad organizativa y la colaboración en organismos de voluntarios. Sugerimos que las estructuras tradicionales de gestión voluntaria pueden ser un obstáculo al compromiso y exigimos un enfoque más colaborador, organiza...

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In 2004, over 6.8 million Canadians were considered overweight, with an additional 2.4 million labeled clinically obese. Due to these escalating levels of obesity in Canada, physical activity is being championed by politicians, physicians, educators and community members as a means to address this health crisis. In doing so, many organizations are being called upon to provide essential physical activity services and programs to combat rising obesity rates. Yet, strategies for achieving these organizations' mandates, which invariably involve stretching already scarce resources, are difficult to implement and sustain. One strategy for improving the health and physical activity levels of people in communities has been the creation of inter-organizational networks of service providers. Yet, little is known about whether networks are effective in addressing policy issues in non-clinical health settings. The purpose of this investigation was 2-fold; to use whole network analysis to determine the structure of one health promotion network in Canada, and to identify the types of ties shared by actors in the health network. Findings revealed a network wherein information sharing constituted the basis for collaboration, whereas efforts related to sharing resources, marketing and/or fundraising endeavors were less evident.

The Canadian Sport Policy advocates for increased interaction among sport organizations as a means to create a more efficient and effective system. The purpose of this study was to explore the existence and nature of linkages among a network of community basketball providers. Network theory focuses on the interconnections of organizations by considering the structural, social, and economic bonds of cooperative behavior. Quantitative data were collected via a questionnaire and analyzed using network software UCINET 6 to assess the numbers and types of linkages among a network of community basketball organizations (n = 10) in one geographical region. Next, in-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted with leaders from the organizations and from their provincial/national governing bodies (n = 11) to assess the barriers to linkages among these organizations. Results indicated a loosely coupled network, wherein issues of power and dependence, uncertainty, and the lack of managerial structures to initiate and manage linkages prevailed.